Malaria! - Revisited (Roir Sessions)

In the depths of January 1981, Bettina Köster and Gudrun Gut stepped from the smoldering ashes of their previous band Mania D shouldering the yoke of a feverish new project they called Malaria!. And with the release of the maxi EP "Malaria!" in April that year, the fever spread.

The band filled out to include Manon P. Suursma, NL ("O.U.T." an early Nina Hagen project), Christine Hahn, USA (Static, Glen Branca) and Susanne Kuhnke, BRD (Die Haut) absorbing their diverse backgrounds and personalities and grew.

A first European tour followed during which they appeared on a John Peel session for the BBC and later recorded the single "How do you like my new dog?" for the Belgium label Les Disques du Crepuscule.

Malaria toured the US next appearing with The Birthday Party, John Cale, and one unforgettable gig together with Nina Hagen in New York`s infamous Studio 54 night club. This tour was the first that promoted New German Music in the United States. Meanwhile Malaria recorded the 12" "New York Passage (Your turn to run)" for Cachalot records which went on to reach the independent top 10 in the U.S. as well as in Europe.

During another tour of Europe the band gave birth to "White Water" a 12" long player including "Kaltes Klares Wasser" which went on to become an Indi-classic.

In 1982 Malaria released to critical acclaim their first album, "Emotion". It was licensed to Nippon Columbia in Japan and the video "Geld/Money" (directed by B. Bühler and D. Hormel) won prizes for its innovative editing style. Tours of England, France, Benelux, Italy and Scandinavia followed.

In 1983 three new titles were released, produced by M. Hönig at the Hansa Studio in the shadow of the Berlin Wall. Another US tour brought with it the live edition "...Revisited"(ROIR), recorded live at Dancetaria, N.Y.C. and the 9:30 Club, Washington D.C. on May 27/28, 1983. These recordings essentially captures the soul to the group Malaria! My favorites was "Kaltes Klares Wasser" with the harmonica intro, that wasn't on the studio version,"You",and of course "Meeting Place". Bettina Köster's vocal style blends well with how the instruments are being played, is like a vision of extreme apocalyptic righteousness. Anyway, I enjoyed every track with my only regret that they did not include the cut "Geld" from the first album.

Malaria! - Revisited (Roir Sessions)
(192 kbps, front cover included)